HOW PUBLIC MANIPULATION BECAME NORMAL?

I used to say, we should consider publicly executing architects in the village square. I know, a bit harsh. But now I'd like to propose the same for PR firms. The evil these people are doing, is hardly understood. If your Government is trying to prepare your mind for some legislation the people disagree with, a PR firm is hired to devise a Public Relations campaign to convince you of the benefits. Likewise if they want you to support their wars in Ukraine and in Syria! What you see in the media, the legacies as well as the social media versions, is not news but part of a campaign thought up by a Public Relations guru. Paid for by your own tax money, by the way. You cannot despise these people enough. Here's a ripe example. 

Oct. 7, 2025 Redacted: They're now TRACKING American Christians during church services.

This example is about an Israeli campaign targeting Evangelicals in their Churches. But they're all doing it for all kinds of purposes. 

What can we do? Start by making sure the location on your phone is off. Be aware of what is going on. Ignore the legacy media like they have the plague, because they do.

Don't believe anything you see at face value: doubt everything as a default mindset. And prepare for the possibility that at some point, you'll have to ditch your smart phone or unplug altogether. 

We are looking not just at a new development, or a bad policy choice. It is ideological as well as institutional. It was born of the Enlightenment premise that there are but two ways of looking at the world: either objectively or subjectively.

During the 'age of reason' subjectivity was dismissed as not real, as bias, or just a personal perception or opinion. The reaction to it came at the postmodern period. Now objectivity was rejected as an impossibility: however you look at reality, it is always through some personal lens.

As a consequence, the media have stopped trying to be objective, by now having embraced total bias as a matter of course. This is now the default position in academic circles, except for perhaps some science faculty, in a dark room, hidden high up in the ivory tower and ignored by everyone.

From the world of fringe intellectuals the idea seeped through to Governments who have now accepted the manipulation of subjective perception as legitimate.

It stems from President Obama's 'regulations czar', Cass Sunstein (link), author of the book "Nudge" (link) [get the 'subtle' pun here?] Ever since, the work of PR bureaus has become normalized and accepted as a legitimate form of public manipulation.

From PR campaigns it is but a small step to entire movie scripts being rolled out in support of the wars in Ukraine and Syria (link). It has come to the point that Western civil and military leaders are unable to separate their own lies bias from objective reality. It is absolutely  stunning to watch them confusing info war with kinetic war! The Russians know it too. 

If private businesses and corporations engage in it, it's called promotion and commercial advertisement. Everyone knows an ad when he sees it. The industry is highly regulated. The cost is included in the price you pay for a product. You don't have to buy it. You can ignore the product as well as the ad.

Quite another matter is when Governments engage in the practice. It is immoral on so many levels! First of all, it's about selling policies, not products. Secondly, it's covert propaganda; they don't tell you about it and it is being presented as if it is objective information. Thirdly, you pay for it through your tax money. Fourthly, you have no choice in the matter. 

The social media have added just another layer of immorality to the concept through the invention of paid 'influencers': your peers selling you their subjective opinion that we somehow seem to care about, but which is actually bought and paid for by private as well as public entities. 

Finally, a word on dichotomies, which is really a foundational issue all by itself. Just to say, distrust the binary choice because it is meant to trick you! It is usually a false choice between two options, with the purpose of excluding a third option they don't want you to have. This warning can't possibly be overstated! 

Objective versus subjective is such a false dichotomy. For the third option that no one tells you about, watch the page of Dr Zac Porcu. You can find the links on this page (link). For the price of a cup of coffee you also get access to his Substack and the 'afterparties'. 

- More on Modernism, Postmodernism, propaganda, scientific revolution -